


Hold On

by Lempo Soi (Lemposoi)



Category: Crying Game (1992)
Genre: Character of Color, Community: song_prompt, F/M, POV Third Person, Past Tense, Prison, Trans Character, Wordcount: 100-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-05
Updated: 2011-04-05
Packaged: 2017-10-17 15:09:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/178154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lemposoi/pseuds/Lempo%20Soi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Fergus takes measures to keep Dil safe. </p>
            </blockquote>





	Hold On

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Song-Prompt on Dreamwidth and the song 'Drive' by The Cars.

"You seeing someone?"

There were nicks and scratches running across the see-through plastic between them. He could barely remember the tone her skin was when the colour wasn't washed out by a white electric light and scratched greyish plastic, but he could read the anger in her face well enough. It was good that she was angry.

"Fergus," was all she said, in dulcet tones of disappointment.

"It's been three years, Dil."

She leaned forward and smiled at him tightly. "And it's going to be a few more, isn't it, lover?"

"That's my point. I know what you're doing, Dil, but you need someone who can watch out for you."

"What am I doing, Fergus?"

He opened his mouth, then breathed out an embarrassed laugh. "Okay." He leaned toward the window and lowered his voice. "You're throwing your life away."

"Try again."

"Okay. You're playing a part. You're trying to be the faithful maiden. Life's not a fairytale, Dil."

"But I am a faithful maiden, Fergus. Maybe not a virgin, though. Was that your point?"

He gave her a patient look. "My point is that it's not worth it. You need someone to love you and take care of you. Someone out there."

"Don't you love me?"

"I..."

"That's what this is about? Do you want me to leave you alone?"

A small questioning grease appeared between her lovely, tired eyes, and God help him, he knew he didn't. He couldn't pretend he did. He tried to think of the right words to make her go away regardless, but before they could come, she began to smile.

"You don't. I know you don't." She placed her hand on the plastic. "I'm always going to be coming back, Fergus. Always. I love you."

He gave in, as he always did, and placed his fingers on the glass over hers. "I love you too, Dil."

*

The bang of the door always sounded loud in the hall. In here, all noises were sharp and echoing. Fergus leaned against the wall and reached for a cigarette in his breast pocket, lighting up.

He thought abou the way Dil got when she was 'tired and emotional'. He kept hoping she was cheating on him, that she had at least some friends other than those girls at Millie's, who he wouldn't even trust to take care of themselves. He thought about how hungry she was for love. He thought about her sleeping alone, and that shoddy lock on her apartment. She still hadn't changed it. He kept asking. He thought about her going out to the Metro, and the angry young men he'd seen milling around it. He thought about her moods.

"I guess I'm not doing a very good job of it, Jody," he muttered to the glowing end of his cigarette.

"Talking to yourself now?" Clara said. He saw her leaning on the wall not two steps away, a cigarette in her hand, its end dangerously close to the silk of her skirt. They hadn't let Clara in the women's prison but they did at least let her wear what she liked.

"Were you waiting for me?" he asked.

"Cheeky." She grinned. "I still think I'm prettier than her, you know."

"You're very pretty, Clara." Fergus sighed, flicked his cigarette ash and looked away.

"Still the chaste knight, huh. Your willy's going to fall out one of these days, you know. I could help you with that."

"Leave off, Clara." He took a drag.

She shifted, crossed her arms and looked at him in a new way. "Okay."

"Yeah?" He glanced at her.

"Yeah, okay. You know, Fergus, you're a rare breed. Like something out of a fairytale. I guess I don't want to mess with that."

"Thanks," he said after a pause.

She began to walk away. "Wait," he said.

She turned, her eyebrows shooting up. "You're kidding me. So much for chivalry."

"It's not that," he said and beckoned with a hand. She took a step towards him. "You only have another two months in here, right?"

*

Dil yelled at him for three straight visits for setting her up with an ex-con, never mind he was one, and never mind what Clara had done or hadn't done, but when the yelling was over Dil and Clara were still sharing the apartment. Life went on. Clara came to see him too and told him all the things Dil wouldn't. She was keeping her safe.

The next year, the prison got rid of that plastic. Just the feel of Dil's skin made him remember sunlight.


End file.
